Canadians without reliable internet access being left behind, experts warn

Experts in the telecommunication sector are warning the federal government that Canadians without reliable high-speed internet connection will be left behind as more services move online amid COVID-19 closures.

MPs on the House industry committee met via teleconference Thursday night to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, and heard from stakeholders about how rural communities are being affected. Laura Tribe, executive director of Open Media, a Canadian non-profit which advocates for open communication systems, said the current target of 2030 for national connectivity means rural Canadians will be economically disadvantaged while the internet holds the country together as Canadians stay home.

“That’s what I’m asking you to fix,” she told MPs, noting that one in 10 Canadian families do not have a home internet connection.

Steve Arnold, mayor of St. Clair Township, a largely rural community of some 14,000 people in southwestern Ontario that neighbours Sarnia, told committee members that downloads of large files like movies and homework can take two hours to two days for residents in his region. He said teachers have called him to complain that it’s impossible to send online learning materials to students in rural parts of the community. Arnold said some families use two service providers “to complete even single tasks.”

“It’s very frustrating for us,” he said.

The current Liberal government has set 2030 as a target date for national connectivity. Both Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains and Rural Economic Development Minister Maryam Monsef were charged with increasing high-speed broadband coverage in rural Canada in their mandate letters.

Conservative MP and committee vice-chair Michelle Rempel Garner said that internet access is becoming a barrier to equality of opportunity and economic growth. She said she wanted to move the timeline for national internet access to the end of next year.

“2030 is not an aspirational target or an appropriate target,” she said.

Opposition MPs pushed Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains in committee last week on the federal government’s plans to help Canadians living in rural communities access reliable and affordable internet. Bains suggested to committee members that the government has a plan to help rural and remote communities access high-speed internet services, with Minister Monsef managing that initiative.

Marie-Pier Baril, press secretary for Minister Monsef, told iPolitics at the time that the federal government has made up to $6 billion available to support the building of rural and remote internet infrastructure, which includes the upcoming $1 billion universal broadband fund. She did not clarify whether Minister Monsef has any new announcements planned.

In his comments to committee, NDP MP Brian Masse agreed that 2030 is not an acceptable target date.

“2030 is absurd,” he said. “We’ve made it even more important to be connected.”

Masse suggested that changes to the way telecom companies bid on Canada’s 5G infrastructure, known as a spectrum auction, could benefit consumers. He said the federal government has pulled in $20 billion from the auctions, with little benefit going to the consumers.

Masse told iPolitics last week that the federal government should award the bid to a telecom company that has the primary objective of keeping costs low for consumers and create universal support from coast to coast, rather than seeing how much money they can get for the bid.

Tribe agreed that spectrum purchasing is getting very expensive. She said in the past, spectrum was given away for free, but added that it’s such a commodity they must ensure the funding is going directly back into the services.

Liberal MP Majid Jowhari wondered how relationships between varying levels of government played a factor in developing internet infrastructure. He said in the past, the federal government has made plans to invest in infrastructure but differing values between provinces and municipalities, and “misalignment” kept the plan from being rolled out in a timely manner.

“Yes, we can drive it,” he said. “But we need partners at the table to develop this and agree on it.”

Tribe agreed that differing government interests can be complicated, but said there’s alignment around the need for connectivity at all levels of government. She said the federal government must make a firm commitment that goes beyond a press release, and meet with regional and provincial governments consistently.

“I think you’re going to be amazed to see that that they’re willing to sit at the table knowing that suddenly you’re going to help them get their communities online,” she said.